Blouse anchor



D. J. HENNIE BLOUSE ANCHOR Sept. 21, 1948,.-

Filed Dec. 17, 1947 FIGQZ FIG.

FIG. 3

INVENTOR ,Darz's Jaw! #02701? ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 21, 1948 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE j Q '2,449,s96'f" f I BLOUSE ANCHOR Doris JaneHans, Little F lls, N. J. Application m m er 17, 1947, Serial No.792,165

I This invention is directed to the provision of an improved blouseanchor for attachment to the inside of the waistband of a skirt and fordetachable engagement with the fabric of a blouse to prevent the blousefrom working itself out of the skirt as a result of movements of theperson wearing it.

The improved blouse anchor comprises a thin, fiat, substantially rigidmember configured to define a centrally located vertical wedge slot fordetachable engagement with a blouse, and formed also with a pair ofopenings located one on each side of the wedge slot. A pair of elastictapes are secured to said member by being passed one through each ofsaid openings, and by each being doubled back on itself. The'tapes eachextend out horizontally in a direction away from the central slot.In'use, the ends of the tapes are secured to the inside of a skirtadjacent its waistband but far enough below the upper edge of thewaistband so that the anchor is concealed. The tapes should be drawntaut along the waistband, but should not normally be under anysubstantial degree of elastictension.

By engaging the wedge slot of the anchor with the fabric of a blouse,the blouse is prevented from climbing out of the skirt. The elastictapes of the blouse anchor, by which it is secured to the skirt, allowsubstantial relative movement between the skirt and the blouse, so thatthe movements of the wearer are not hampered; but whenever the blousetends to work its way upward and out of the skirt, it is urged downagain bythe anchor to its proper position. Generally two such anchors,located one on each side of the skirt, are all that are required toretain the blouse inside the skirt all around the wearers Waist.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a projectionof one form of blouse- 5 Claims. (01'. 2-423) wardly and thence inwardlyto form a. pair of openings 9 on opposite sides of the slot 1, A pair ofelastic tapes in are passed one through each opening, and each tape isdoubled back on itself to secure it to the bent-wire element. The tapesextend horizontally, at right angles to the verti-- cal axis .of thewedge slot, and outwardly therefrom.

; In use, the ends I I of the tapes ID are sewn or otherwise fastened tothe inside of a skirt l2, to, or adjacent. to, its waistband l3, asshown in Fig. 2. The tapes should be drawn substantially; taut when theyare sewn in place, so as to lie flat against the inside of the skirt,but should not be under elastic tension to any substantial degree. Whenthus fastened in place, the new blouse anchor does not tend to produceeither unsightly. wrinkles or unsightly bulge-s in the skirt, and isperfectly comfortable to the wearer.

A small part 14 of the fabric of a blouse I5 is drawn into the wedgeslot, and when thus engaged with the blouse anchor, the blouse is heldfrom climbing out of the skirt. If movements of the wearer result inpulling the blouse upwardly, the elastic tapes yield to allow relativemovement between blouse and skirt, without damaging either. However,when the force tending to pull the blouse up is released, the tapes drawit back into its proper position inside the skirt.

An alternative form of blouse anchor, made from fairly stiff, rigidsheet metal or sheet plastic material, is shown in Fig, 3. In thismodification, a small rectangular member 16 of the sheet material is cutto form a narrow, central, vertical wedge slot l1 extending inwardlyfrom thelower side edge of the member. A pair of vertical, elongatedslot openings 3 are formed in the member at each side of the wedge slot,with their long axes substantially parallel to the axis of the wedgeslot. Elastic tapes I 9 extending horizontally outwardly from the wedgeslot, substantially at right angles thereto, are fastened to the sheetmaterial element in the same manner as described in connection with Fig.l, by being passed through the openings [8 and being doubled back onthemselves. The top edge of the member 16 advantageously is bent over,or is otherwise stiffened, as indicated at 20, to reinforce the anchor.This modified form of blouse anchor is used in the same manner as theform shown in Fig. 1 and as described in connection with Fig. 3.

The new blouse anchor is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and veryeasy to fasten in place. It has proven to be highly effective forholding a blouse in its proper position inside the" wearers skirt. It iscomfortable to wear, and does not damage either the skirt or the blouse.When properly mounted on the skirt it is fully concealed and does notreveal its presence by unsightly bulges r wrinkles. It may be secured inthe skirt at the time the latter is made, or may be sewn in at a latertime with but a few minutes work.

I claim:

1. The combination with a skirt of a blouse anchor for'restraining ablouse being worn with the skirt from working itself out of the skirt,said anchor comprising a substantially rigid member configured to definea substantially centrally located vertically extending wedge slot forengagement with a blouse and having an opening on each side of saidslot, a pair ofelastic tapes extending one through each of saidopenings, each of said tapes being doubled back on itself with its endsdrawn out horizontally in a direction away from said wedge slot,eachztape being fastened adjacent its-ends to'the inside of the skirt:adjacent the skirt waistband but'far enough below the upper edge of saidwaistband so that the blouse anchor is concealed, the tapesiheing drawnout substantially 'taut withoutnormally beingaunderi any substantialdegree of elastic tension.

2. A blouse anchor of the character described comprising athinrflatsubstantially rigid member having therein a centrally located verticallyextending wedge slot for engagement with the fabric of a blouse, andhaving an opening for receiving an elastic tape on each side of saidslot, and a pair of elastictapes secured to said member by being passedone through each of said openings and'being doubled back on itself, saidtapes each being arranged so as normally to'ex- 4 tend horizontally in adirection away from said wedge slot.

3. A blouse anchor of the character described comprising a thin flatsubstantially rigid member configured to define a centrally locatedvertical wedge slot and having a pair Of tape-receiving openings locatedone on each side of said wedge slot, and a pair of elastic tapes passedone through each of said openings and thereby secured to said membenthetapes extending horizontally each in a direction away fromsaid slot.

4. A blouse anchor of the character described comprising a stifismooth-surfaced wire bent substantially double adjacent its midpoint toform a wedge slot between the portions of the Wire onopposite sides ofthe bend, the ends of the wire being looped outwardly and upwardly andthence inwardly to form a pair of openings on opposite sides of saidwedge slot, and a pair of elastic tapes passed one through each of saidopenings andthereby secured to said bent Wire element, the tapes eachextending outwardly away from the wedge slot substantially at a rightangle thereto.

5. A blouse anchor of the character described comprising athinsubstantially rigid member-of sheet material having a narrow centrallylocated wedge slot extending inwardly from an edge thereof, and having apair of elongated openings formed therein on opposite sides of saidwedge slot, the long axes of said openings being substantially parallelto the axis of the wedge slot, and a pair of elastic tapes passed onethrough each of said openings and being thereby secured to said member,the tapes-each extendingoutwardly from the wedge slot substantially at aright-angle thereto.

DORIS JANE HENNIE.

